Apparatus for making slub yarn



March 4, 1941. J. OPENSHAW AFPARATUS FOR MAKING SLUB YARN Filed April 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 4, 1941. J, QPENSHAW APPARATUS FOR MAKING SLUB YARN Filed April 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Azwrw Patented Mar. 4, 1941 APPARATUS FOR. MAKING SLUB YARN John Openshaw, 'liverton, R. 1., assignor to Associa Berkshire Fine Spinning tes, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Inc.,

Application April 28, 1938, Serial No. 204,798

15 Claims.

This invention relates to spinning frames, and to the making of slub, fancy or Himalaya yarns thereon.

The invention aims to provide novel and improved mechanism for making such yarns which can be applied as an attachment to existing spinning frames with a minimum of modifying or rebuilding of the customary parts of such machines, which attachment shall itself be simple and inexpensive to make and install, and less subject to wear, replacement, adjustment, and general upkeep difllculties than priordevices, and which will put less wear and tear on the other parts of the spinning frame. It aims to provide a mechanism which will make possible both the formation of an accurate length and size of slub or bunch, and also, what is much more important, the definite and accurate spacing of the bunches at unequal distances in the length of the yarn, that they may be-distributed with respect to the width of fabric which is to be woven so as to get an equal distribution over the entire surface of the fabric, with avoidance of'the faults of having the clubs either too closely bunched up, or so widely separated as to leave empty areas, in the finished fabric.

A further aim of the invention is to avoid weakening the yarn in the process of inserting the slubs.

To attain these aims, the invention creates the slub or bunch by retarding and preferably stopping the advance of the strand or roving by the front or delivery pair of rolls, instead of making the bunch as heretofore by speeding up the rear or feed rolls, or the feed and intermediate rolls. Thus the roving is not strained by the yank hitherto given to it in periodically speeding up the rotation of the relatively heavy creel bobbin forming the supply from which the roving must be drawn. Instead, the roving is drawn off from the creel bobbin at constant speed, and similarly fed and drawn by the feed, holding, or back rolls and the intermediate rolls as in ordinary spinning, while the front rolls are merely stopped periodically to let a length of slack roving accumulate behind them, which slack is fed through the front rolls with the omission of the draft it would otherwise get between the front and intermediate rolls, and being twisted as it emerges from the front rolls to form the bunch. Owing to the greater rate of travel of the front rolls over the intermediate rolls, the slack is taken up gradually between these rolls, and thereafter the drawing at this interval is resumed. The strand is not subjected to any draft at all at either end of the slub after the hunch is formed; in prior methods, where the length of strand which included the slub was subjected to draft, the weaker normal sized strand did most of the yielding necessitated by the draft, as was proved by the thinnessof the yarn and its frequent breakdown immediately before or after the bunches. Under the invention, by contrast, the strength of the yarn is notably increased up to 40% over the customary methods alluded to, as a result of avoiding draft of the stretches which include the bunches and yanking on the stretch of roving reaching back to the creel bobbins. As a result of fewer breakdowns, the production of the frame is increased.

The avoidance of all drafting of the strand after the .bunch is inserted makes possible accurate control both of the length and size. of the bunch and of the spacing-apart of the bunches in the length of the yarn. When the insertion of the bunches is controlled by speeding up the back roll, as heretofore, it was hard to foretell where the slubs would fall in the finished yarn, and their size and length, on account of the intervening draft. The invention makes it possible to see instantly exactly what is being attained, in its final form.

The periodic stopping of the front roll is a very simple mechanical problem, requiring only a clutch and the simplest sort of timing mechanism to operate it at any desired periodic intervals, as compared with the problem in prior devices of speeding up the feed rolls and intermediate rolls. No lengthy train of driving mechanism needs to be accelerated, as it requires merely the restarting of the upper and lower front rolls after they have been allowed to stop;

thus, the inertia of the parts involved does not put the usual jerk on the machine or cause the wear and tear requiring frequent replacements and constant attention and adjustment needed in older methods. The device of the invention is practically wearproof and of unlimited life, as well as requiring a less complicated structure of fewer parts, which can be made much more substantial, and which can be installed easily on existing frames.

Other aims of the invention and the manner of their attainment, are as will be made plain hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of certain of the parts of a spinning frame at the drive end thereof, showing the device of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the drive end of the spinning frame of Fig. 1, with the invention erating the clutch which drives the front roll shaft.

The invention is shown applied to a standard Whitin spinning frame, of which only such parts are shown as are necessary for an understanding of the application and operation of the invention.

The shaft l carrying the lower front drawing rolls 3, 3, at each side of the spinning frame, which is ordinarily continuous from inside the gear box 5, is out just outside the gear box, as indicated at 2, and provided with one element I of a dog clutch, this element being fixed on the end of shaft I by key 9. The cooperating element ll of the dog clutch is slidably mounted on the stub-shaft [3 which extends from the cut at 2 into gear box 5, being driven by the usual spur gear I5 fixed thereon and the customary intermediate gears from the main drive or cylinder shaft II. The usual pinion l9'for driving the customary gear-train (not shown) imparting reduced speeds to the feed, holding, or backrolls 29 and intermediate drawing rolls 22 remains on stub-shaft I3. The end of the stub-shaft is guided within the bore of driven portion I of the clutch.

The movable element ll of the dog clutch is rotated in unison with stub-shaft I3 by means of spline 2|, and is moved lengthwise of stubshaft l3 into and out of driving engagement with element 1 by a bent lever 23 pivoted on stud 25 in bracket 21 fixed on frame member 29 of the spinning frame, the lever being retained on the stud by cap-screw 28. A swivel 3| having a concave end fitting within an annular groove 33 in driving element H of the clutch is pivotally mounted by means of its shank 35 in a hub 31 formed on the upper end of lever 23, to slide clutch element ll along stub-shaft l3 into and out of engagement with driven element 1 on front roll shaft I. Lever 23 is made in two parts, connected by cap-screw 39, to facilitate installing.

Lever 23 is biased by pull-spring 4|, attached to the lever near its lower end and anchored at 43 on frame-member 29, so as to tend to rotate clockwise and hold the clutch engaged. To rock the lever, a striker plate 45, adjustably mounted by a cap-screw 4! put through a longitudinal slot in the striker into the end of lever 23, is periodically engaged by risers 49 adjustably mounted on the rim of a cam-wheel 5| by means of capscrews 53 put through slots in circumferentially extended lugs forming parts of each riser, and threaded into the cam-wheel.

Each clutch and lever assembly at each side of the spinning frame has its proper cam-wheel 5|; but these cam-wheels are both fixed by meansof their set-screws 55 upon opposite ends of a common cross-shaft 51 rotating in bearings at the lower ends of hangers 59 mounted on frame-member 29. Cross-shaft 51 is constantly rotated during the running of the spinning frame in any desired or convenient manner; herein this is done by a worm gear 5| fixed thereon and engaging with a worm 63 fixed on a stud-shaft 65, rotated by spur gear 61 fixed on the opposite end of the stud-shaft and engaging with a wide-faced pinion 69 replacing the usual narrower pinion providing the take-off from the main or cylinder shaft II. The sleeve bearing H for the worm shaft 65 has a slotted bracket 12 at right angles whereby it is attached by bolt 14 to the face of gear box 5 adjacent an opening found in these gear boxes as usually constructed, and through which the sleeve bearing extends.

As is obvious, the dog clutch is held in engagement and the front roll shaft I is rotated at its usual rate of revolution from stub-shaft l3 so long as spring 4| is allowed to hold lever 23 in its extreme clockwise position illustrated in Fig. 4. But when any riser 49 on constantly rotated cam wheel 5| strikes the striker 45, the lever is rocked counterclockwise to withdraw driving element ll of the clutch from engagement with driven element 1. Thereupon the drive of front roll shaft -l is suspended, and the lower front rolls .3 and upper front rolls 4 throughout the entire length of one side of the spinning frame cease to rotate. As soon as the riser engaging striker 45 .passes out from under the lower extremity of the latter, spring 4| rocks the lever reversely to reengage the clutch, and the driving of the front" rolls 3, 3, is resumed.

It is the length of roving that is fed into the space between the intermediate and front rolls while the latter are stopped, and which is fed through the front rolls without draft when the latter are restarted, which forms the successive slubs I3 in the finished yarn. The duration of this stopping, and hence the length of the slubs, is determined by adjusting striker 45 up ordown beneath its retaining screw 41, to shorten or lengthen the duration of its contact with each, successive riser 49.

To determine the spaced relationship of the slubs 13 in the length of the yarn being spun, in order to properly fit the width and character of the fabric to be woven from this yarn and to distribute the slubs uniformly over the surface of the fabric when the yarn is used as filling in the loom, the risers 49 are adjusted angularly about the rim of cam-wheel 5| with respect to each other, by meansof their retaining screws 53 and the slots in their lugs which admit such screws; also, risers may be added or subtracted as desired. Entirely different spacings and lengths of slubs may be made on thetwo sides of the spinning frame if desired. 7

While I have illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention maybe embodied, I am aware that manyvmodifications maybe made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do .60

not wish to be limited to the particular forms shown, or to the details ofconstruction thereof, but

What I do claim is:

1. In a spinning frame, in combination, ajplurality of pairs of drawing rollsfor drawing a strand, means for driving the rolls, and means for periodically suspending the drive of the pair last engaging the strand while the driving of the preceding pair is continued. I

2. In a spinning frame, in combination, a plurality of pairs of drawing rolls for drawing a strand, means for driving the pair last engaging. the strand intermittently, and means driving the remaining pairs of rolls constantly.

3. In a spinning frame, in combination, a source of strand supply, a pair of feed rolls drawing the strand from the supply at a constant rate, a pair of intermediate rolls drawing forward the strand from the feed rolls at a constant rate, and a pair of delivery rolls alternatively drawing forward the strand and standing still while the other named rolls continue to operate.

4. In a spinning frame, in combination, a

1 source of strand supply, feed rolls drawing the strand from the supply, means driving such rolls at a constant rate, intermediate rolls drawing forward the strand from the feed rolls, means driving these intermediate rolls at a constant rate, delivery rolls drawing forward the strand from the intermediate rolls, and means for driving these delivery rolls and for periodically checking their rotation while the other rolls continue to be driven.

5. In a spinning frame, in combination, holding rolls, intermediate drawing rolls, and delivery rolls, and clutch means driving the delivery rolls with capacity for suspending the driving of such latter rolls while the rest of the rolls continue to be driven.

6. In a spinning frame, in combination, holding rolls, intermediate drawing rolls, and deliV-' ery rolls, clutch means driving the delivery rolls with capacity for suspending the driving of such with capacity for suspending the driving of such latter rolls while the rest of the rolls continue to be driven, and cam means periodically releasing and reengaging the clutch.

8. In a spinning framelin combination, holding rolls, intermediate drawing rolls, and delivery rolls, clutch means driving the delivery rolls with capacity for suspending the driving of such latter rolls while the rest of the rolls continue to be driven, cam means, devices intermediate the clutch and the cam transmitting clutch-operating impulses from the cam to the clutch, and means in connection with such intermediate devices determining the duration of the suspension of the drive by the clutch.

9. In a spinning frame, in combination, holdlng rolls, intermediate drawing rolls, and delivery rolls, driving devices therefor including means for checking the drive of the delivery rolls while the other rolls continue to be driven, a cam constantly driven during the operation of the spinning frame, a member positioned by the cam to check the drive of the delivery roolls, and means in connection with such member for adiustably determining the duration of the checkin: of the drive.

10. In a spinning frame, in'combination, holding rolls, intermediate drawing rolls, and delivery rolls, clutch means driving the delivery rolls with capacity for suspending the driving of such latter rolls while the rest of the rolls continue to be driven, a cam wheel, a plurality of risers on such can wheel angularly adjustable with respecttoeachotherabouttheaxisofthecam 7' wheel to vary their spaced relation. and means engaged by the risers operating the clutch means.

11. In a spinning frame, in combination, driving means, constantly driven holding rolls and intermediate drawing rolls, front delivery rolls,

a constantly rotating shaft, a cam wheel thereon 5 having risers adjustably mounted thereon in spaced relation, a lever rocked periodically by engagement with the risers, and a clutch alternately engaged and disengaged by the lever as the latter is rocked, and transmitting a driving 10 impulse from the driving means to the front delivery rolls when engaged,

12. As an attachment for existing spinning frames, in combination, a clutch to couple together in driving relation the proximate ends of 1 an interrupted lower front roll shaft, a lever to be pivotally attached to the frame of the spinning frame, a. cam-wheel with spaced risers thereon to actuate the lever periodically, a'shaft for the cam-wheel, hangers for the shaft to be attached to the frame, and gear means to be interposed between such shaft and a constantly going gear of the spinning frame to drive the cam shaft through intermeshing engagement with the teeth of such gear. 2

13. In a spinning frame, in combination, a. main driving shaft, holding rolls and intermediate drawing rolls in permanent driving connection with such main driving shaft, front delivery rolls, a clutch transmitting a driving impulse 30 from the main driving shaft to the front delivery rolls when engaged and arresting the drive of such rolls when disengaged, a cam-shaft below the rolls at right angles to their axes constantly driven by the main driving shaft, a cam on such 35 cam-shaft, and a lever swinging on an axis parallel to the axis of the cam and disengaging the clutch when actuated by the cam.

14. In a spinning frame, in combination, a main driving shaft, holding rolls and intermediate drawing rolls at each side of the spinning frame in permanent driving connection with such shaft, a cam-shaft at right angles to the main driving shaft and constantly driven thereby, front delivery rolls at each side of the spinning frame, a clutch transmitting a driving impulse from the main driving shaft to each line of front delivery rolls when engaged and arresting the. drive. when freed, cam means on the cam-shaft, and means actuated by such cam means periodically disengaging the respective clutches to arrest the drive of each line of front delivery rolls.

15. In a spinning frame, in combination, a main driving shaft, holding rolls and intermediate drawing rolls at each side of the spinning frame in permanent driving connection with such shaft, a cam-shaft at right angles to the main driving shaft and constantly driven thereby, front delivery rolls at each side of the spinning frame, a pair of clutches each transmitting a driving impulse from the main driving shaft to each line of front delivery rolls when engaged and arresting the drive when freed, two cams on the cam-shaft, and means operatively connecting each cam with one of the clutches to effect periodic engagement and disengagement thereof to cause and to arrest driving of each line of front delivery rolls.

JOHN OPENSHAW. 

